NOTES FROM OUR TRAVELLING CORRESPONDENT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1250, 13 February 1896, Page 21

NOTES FROM OUR TRAVELLING CORRESPONDENT.

WAITUNA WEST. Waituna West is that part of the Khvitea County lying between Birmingham and Feilding. The township of Waituna West is about nine miles from the junction of the Kimbolton and Cheltenham roads. The township consists of a large store, a blacksmith’s shop and a boarding-house fuii by a geiitierhaii answering to the aristocratic name of Paddy Doyle, and right good accommodation there is at Doyle’s West Coast Boarding-house. The Waituna West road leads down to the Sandon Small Farm Association block. All along this road is studded with settlers. Messrs Benzeman, Pearce, Jolly, Ackermann, Wellfcrd, Fraser, Bryant, Palmer, Densham, Flood, Shortt, Crab, Hammond and Powell are the principal holders. Mr Wellford, who is an old Rangitikei settler, has in a short time made a splendid homestead, aild next to liis place is a piece b! eoiintry laid oS for a Village Sbttlbtheht which is-named the TV elliord Village Settlement.

Mr Densham, who is well-known in Otago, has settled in a little bend and has made good progress. His orchard is one of the finest in the Kiwitea County.

Mr Fraser, who hails from Canterbury, has settled on a piece of country facing a road leading from the main road. Mr Fraser, after much experimenting, has, he states, been able to cope with the root fungus in apple trees. His remedy is simple and cheap, viz., to spread on the Surface found the tree a quantity of Wood ashes. This of course will have no effect on trees that are too far gone. The root fungus in the Kiwitea County has caused serious loss to the settlers, and the sooner the Government fruit expert makes a touxthrough the county the better. The next neighbour to Mr Fraser is Mr Bryant, and should any of your readers ever visit Air Bryant’s place in the fruitseason they will require to be careful, as the quantity of strawberries and other good things that are fairly forced on the visitor makes it a serious question as to Whether the gate is large enough to let one through after the “ blow out.” On the river flat opposite, Mr Densham has a piece of land lately laid off for a village settlement and named Rewa Village Settlement. The whole thing is an absurdity. Just fancy quarter-acre sections in this place ! In the name of all that is good, what is the use of them P A few twenty-acre Sections on the flat would be of some use, as the holdings atoUnd are fairly large and the small settlers could get a month or two of employment in the year. There is a daily coach service which carries the mails between Feilding and Waituna West. Mr Robinson, the proprietor, is a popular Jehu. The telephone from Feilding to Waituna West will be opened next week. The adjoining piece of country to TVaitune West is a new block. The land on this block has all been taken up, but is not yet properly settled, and during the last week bush fires have been raging all around, the atmosphere being so thick with smoke that you could cut pieces out with a knife.

Mr Shannon, late of Wellington, is about the first settler on the block, and his palatial residence stands in marked contrast to the devastated scenery. Messrs Hare, Lester, McDougall and Carman are the holders of some fine sections, which are rapidly undergoing improvements. Mr Lester has built for himself and his excellent helpmate a spacious residence, the front, windows of which have suffered from an over-charge of dynamite in the logs and' stumps which once adorned the front of the house. Mr Lester says that he once believed in the theory that dynamite struck the solid, but now he is of opinion that when it goes off it is in such a hurry that it is not particular as to direction-. Mrs Lester is the daughter of Mr Still, an old and respected settler at Marton. . The last settler is Mr Larsen, who is a sheep farmer, and it is Mr Larsen the stranger is generally directed to for. information as to the short-cut to Birmingham. This he will give in detail, but to describe the route after passing through is almost impossible. Some day an enraged traveller will return, and there will be nothing left of Mr Larsen but his hat. The route is impassable to anything but a mule. It takes about two hours’ struggle to get over about three miles of very steep

hills and down inclines which are almost perpendicular and as slippery as glass. Mr Gledstone’s house is then a welcome sight*, and for . further directions the and the first thing he is here offered is d cup of refreshing tea, handed to him by a smiling golden-haired damsel, who is apparently used to Mr Larsen’s victims. This part is known as Mcßeth’s line, and well it might, as there are Mcßetlis innumerable around, and right good settlers they are. On the road to Birmingham Mr T. Bryce, a son of the Hon John, has a fine estate. ODDS AND ENEiS; KIWITEA COUNTY. Last week Mr Fred Gerke, of Birmingham, a young settler, lost his wife and infant child. Mrs Gerke was of a genial and kindly nature, and will be much missed. Great sympathy was shown to Mr Gerke in his sad bereavement. The settlers for miles around turned out to the funeral on Thursday last, when the remains were laid to rest in the pretty little ceme-terj-at Bu-mingham; , , . . Mf John SiqvfeiSSj it.H.R.jftas been touring the district and delivering pre-sessibiial addresses. He has been well received everywhere. It must be,gratifying to the Apiti shareholders in the Cheese Company to learn that the cheese turned out of the factory has been graded first-class. Well done, Mr Brownlee!

The number of bachelor settlers in the Kiwitea Coxjnty is a menace to civilisation. Mr Sam Daws, tlie gbnial Jehu of the Birmingham-Feilding road, irius't be a popular man. Last Christmas he was handed <£l4 as a present from the settlers.

tbe American barque St. David and dn Tinknown vessel. Her cargo consists of 1028 tons, including 11,050 cases kerosene for Wellington, and a balance, including 2500 cases kerosene, for Lyttelton. The Cynosure was berthed alongside the Queen’s Wharf in tbe aitefnoOfi. Messrs Levin and Co. are the local agents.

The British India Steam Navigation Company’s steamer Chilka arrived from Calcutta and Singapore early on Saturday morning. She is under charter to the Union Steam Ship Company, and her cargo for New Zealand consists of over 2000 tons, 360 tons of which are for Wellington. When off the Queensland coast the steamer fell in with a hurricane, •which lasted for four days, during heavily, and a large quantity of water was shipped. When the vessel was off Townsville, a tremendous sea which broke dboafd unroofed the cabin abaft the engine-room, carried away the fore-and-aft bridge,struck the port quarter-boat and smashed it to pieces, also snapping the steel davits, the whole lot being swept overboard. Captain G. Jacobs is in command, Mr \V. Lemarclind being chief officer and Mr W. Stevenson chief engineer. Her crew is composed of Lascars. The Chilka is an iron screw steamer of 1944 tons gross, 1921 tons under deck and 1450 tons net, and built in 1878 by Messrs Denny Bros., and is 235 ft in Ipncrtb, 35ft 2in breadth, 23ft 9in depth. Her efigiiie's Lite on the compound principle, with the cylinders of 34 add 60m, with a stroke of 42in. Captain Keating piloted her from Thursda.y Island. The Gothic sailed for London on Saturday afternoon. She took the following cargo from Wellington : —19,800 carcases meat, 7826 cases butter, 156 pieces beef, 8970 legs, 2694 carcases lamb, 2368 cases cheese, 167 casks entrails, 90 cases gum, 1523 do meat, 26 bales leather, 91 do basils, 14 pkgs sundries, 3805 bales wool, 50 casks tallow ; for Rio —29 safc'ka pdtdtOQSj 2 cases cheese, 1 do bacon.